Tag Bruce Wayne

A Batman vs. Robin #4 Micro-Review – A Misleading Title

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***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batman vs Robin 4, cover, December 2022, Mahmud Asrar, Nathan FairbairnTITLE: Batman vs. Robin #4
AUTHOR: Mark Waid
ARTISTS: Mahmud Asrar, Scott Godlewski, Jordie Bellaire (Colorist), Steve Wands (Letterer)
RELEASED: December 20, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Those bat ears on the Helmet of Fate look ridiculous. Just my opinion. But I’m right.

We do get a little character-driven scrap between Bruce and Damian in this issue. But ultimately, Batman vs. Robin isn’t really about Batman and Robin. It’s a misleading title in that sense. The story is really about setting the table for next month’s Lazarus Planet event comic. I can’t say I’m swayed one way or another at this point. Just feeling misled.

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A Nightwing #96 Micro-Review – The Anti-Batman

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***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Nightwing 96, cover, 2022, Bruno RedondoTITLE: Nightwing #96
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
ARTISTS: Bruno Redondo, Caio Filipe (Inker), Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Wes Abbott (Letterer)

RELEASED: September 20, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This issue really encapsulates what I’ll call the “Anti-Batman” spirit Taylor, Redondo, and the gang have created with their run on Nightwing. Meaning Dick lives his live with hope, draws people together instead of shutting them out, etc. There’s even a line in this issue about Dick having to “fight a lot of Bruce’s more toxic programming.”

That quote comes from a pretty great scene between Dick and Barbara. This Taylor/Redondo run has done more for them as a couple than any other story in more than a decade.

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A Superman: Son of Kal-El #11 Micro-Review – A Quiet Respect

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Superman Son of Kal El 11, cover, 2022, Travis Moore, Tamra BonvillainTITLE: Superman: Son of Kal-El #11
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
ARTISTS: Cian Tormey, Federico Blee & Matt Hermes (Colors), Dave Sharpe (Letterer). Cover by Travis Moore & Tamra Bonvillain.

RELEASED: May 10, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

We’ve got both Batman and Nightwing doing guest spots in this book. As always, Batman characters tend to pull focus away from Superman characters. So I’m generally not a fan of them popping up in Big Blue’s books.

However, there is a pretty cool moment in this issue where Jonathan Kent, Clark Kent’s father, pulls Batman aside and says, “Bruce, I’d like a word, son.” With one line, we see that Jonathan Kent commands a quite respect, even from the likes of Batman.

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A Batman ’89 #4 Micro-Review – Ninja Robin

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***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batman 89 4, cover, 2021, Joe QuinonesTITLE: Batman ’89 #4
AUTHOR: Sam Hamm
ARTISTS: Joe Quinones, Leonardo Ito (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

RELEASED: December 7, 2021

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I’m not a fan of this look for Robin. Too much green, not enough red, and a little too far in the ninja direction.

Still, Hamm writes some nice chemistry between Bruce Wayne and our Robin, Drake Winston. I can believe they’d be a team.

The violence in this story between the police and Gotham’s African American community feel very current, despite this taking place in…the mid ’90s?

Quinones draws Two-Face with a fedora in this issue. I like that. It gives him an old school gangster feel.

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A Detective Comics #1037 Micro-Review – Secret Identity Blown?!?

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Detective Comics 1037, Lee Bermejo variant cover, 2021TITLE: Detective Comics #1037
AUTHORS: Mariko Tamaki, John Ridley
ARTISTS: Victor Bogdanovic, Karl Mostert, Dustin Nguyen, Jonathan Glapion (Co-Inker), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist), John Kalisz (Colorist), Aditya Bidikar (Letterer), Rob Leigh (Letterer), Tom Napolitano. Variant cover by Lee Bermejo.
RELEASED: June 8, 2021

There’s a weird error in this issue. Mr. Worth, a new villain, is hunting Bruce Wayne. He asks aloud, “Where are you, Wayne?” Batman then pops out and says, “Here!” Kind of gives away the whole secret identity thing, doesn’t it?

John Ridley and Dustin Nguyen do a back-up story this time around. As far as I’m concerned, both of them are always welcome in Batman’s world. Naturally, it serves as a precursor to The Next Batman.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Weekly Comic 100s: Detective Comics #1034

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

TITLE: Detective Comics #1034
AUTHOR: Mariko Tamaki, Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Dan Mora, Gleb Melnikov, Jordie Bellaire (Colorist), Aditya Bidikar (Letterer), Troy Peteri (Letterer)
RELEASED: March 23, 2021

Gorgeous issue, whether you’re talking about Mora’s Batman or Melnikov’s Robin back-up.

In terms of hammering home that Bruce Wayne now has significantly less money, there’s a great little scene in this book of our hero doing some manual labor to set up one of his “DIY caves.”

I’m really optimistic about Tamaki and Mora’s run on this book. There’s tremendous potential for both great storytelling and great art. Here’s hoping this is the start of something great.

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Weekly Comic 100s: Batman/Catwoman #4

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

TITLE: Batman/Catwoman #4
AUTHOR: Tom King
ARTISTS: Clay Mann, Tomeu Morey (Colorist) Clayton Cowles (Letterer)
RELEASED: March 30, 2021

There’s a gorgeous two-page spread of Catwoman in this issue, with Batman in the background. Beautiful work by Mann and Morey.

Less beautiful? The full page shot of one of Selina’s cats standing over a dead penguin (the bird, not the villain) with its throat bitten out. Seriously.

Selina is acting weird in this story, maintaining some kind of loyalty to the Joker while still in a relationship with Bruce. It doesn’t cast her in a favorable light at all, and I’m not a fan. This same dynamic with a lesser villain? Maybe. But the Joker? No.

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Weekly Comic 100s: The Next Batman: Second Son #2

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

TITLE: The Next Batman: Second Son #2
AUTHOR: John Ridley
ARTISTS: Tony Akins, Travel Foreman, Marco Failla (Breakdowns), Mark Morales (Inker), Rex Lokus (Colorist), Deron Bennett (Letterer)
RELEASED: March 2, 2021

So what we’ve got here is an origin story for Tim Fox’s Batman. There’s plenty of intrigue there. Though don’t let the cover confuse you: That’s Tim’s brother Luke Fox as Batwing.

There’s a decent amount of talk about the “Joker War” storyline here. The implication seems to be that in this universe, that’s where everything fell apart. No more Bruce Wayne as Batman, no more Commissioner Gordon, and a full-on ban of masked vigilantes in Gotham. It’s a whole new world out there, people…

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Weekly Comic 100s: Future State: Dark Detective #4

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

TITLE: Future State: Dark Detective #4
AUTHOR: Mariko Tamaki, Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Dan Mora, Giannis Milonogiannis
COLORIST: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERERS: Aditya Bidikar, Troy Peteri
RELEASED: February 23, 2021

This one felt like it still had a lot of gas left in the tank. It’s always a good thing to leave your audience wanting more. But here’s hoping we more of Dark Detective Bruce Wayne somewhere down the line.

Thankfully, we will indeed see a continuation of the Red Hood back-up, via a new ongoing series. Reportedly, it involves Jason Todd hunting down his former cohorts. Throw in the romance between Jason and the Ravager, and it’ll definitely be worth a look.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Weekly Comic 100s: Future State: Dark Detective #3

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

TITLE: Future State: Dark Detective #3
AUTHOR: Mariko Tamaki, Matthew Rosenberg
ARTISTS: Dan Mora, Carmine Di Giandomenico
COLORISTS: Jordie Bellaire, Antonio Fabela
LETTERERS: Aditya Bidika, Andworld Design
RELEASED: February 9, 2021

Batman v Superman‘s enduring legacy, at least as far as the comics are concerned, seems to be putting Batman in a long coat over his costume. I’ve never been a fan of this look, and I’m sad to see Dan Mora use it. Though at least Mora’s version doesn’t wear a cape and a coat.

As the cover suggests, Bruce and the Future State Batman meet in this issue. It’s not nearly the big, meaningful scene you want it to be. It’s more of, “Hey! Stay in your lane!” It felt very rushed.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.